Online dating and personals at the villages

“Instead of focusing on where can I meet guys or where can I meet girls, think about where can I meet friends,” says Christina Pesoli, a family law attorney in Austin, Texas and author of “Break Free from the Divortex.” She says those settings, from book clubs to church groups, can be great places to meet potential dates with similar interests.Pepper Schwartz, a love and relationship expert for AARP, says travel and hobby groups and community classes are also places where older Americans can mingle.

However, big sites like e Harmony and Match have plenty of older users as well.

Schwartz notes older Americans may find that boutique sites that cater to specific religious groups or personal interests may provide the best matches.

Seniors shouldn’t limit themselves to only dating people of the same age, Pesoli says.

It’s an issue she sees with women in particular; they tend to date people they think they should date rather than whom they want to date.

“You get to have your own rules and preferences,” Pesoli says.

“You’d be surprised how much people talk about health on a first date,” says Schwartz, adding that dropping a “data dump on hello” is a major senior dating mistake.“I’ve heard older daters make it sound like a job interview or a health check.” From rattling off physical ailments to discussing former relationships, seniors may be prone to oversharing on a first date.Others may have been out of the dating scene for so long that they’ve developed off-putting habits.That’s the story of Bruce and Bernadetta Bateman, who found love at the Lakewood Village retirement community in Melbourne, Florida, and got married at ages 76 and 73, respectively.Their story is only one example of how older Americans are pursuing romance and finding the perfect partner, regardless of their age.According to AARP, 45 percent of Americans older than age 65 are divorced, separated or widowed.